Divided We Fall (2000)

"Divided We Fall" was the Czech option for the foreign movie Oscar in 2001. Where it didn't get much chance against the other nominees, like "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" or "Amores Perros". I've watched it now, main reason being that when I need to travel in some country where I don't know at all the language I try to see a movie made there, maybe there's some chance to catch a couple words. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Most probably the second here. Anyway, it did worth the time.

In brief, we have a family risking their life by sheltering a young jew, during the German occupation in WW2's Czechoslovakia. To detail a bit, David Wiener is the son of a local business owner, who gets deported to a concentration camp with all the family, David managing to escape somehow and to return home. Which home, however, is about to be given for accommodation to a German official. Therefore, finally David gets to hide in the storage room of a former employee, Josef, who decides together with his wife, Maria, to offer shelter. And like that, Josef, to guarantee more protection, finally accepts also an offer to work for the German army together with Horst, a friend and former co-worker, who now is a collaborating with the SS troops stationed in the area. All this story takes place in the middle of some other family issues = the failed tries of Josef and Marie to have a child + the also failed tries of Horst to hook-up with the wife of his best buddy. And somehow these problems get to complicate a lot also the situation of the hidden fugitive.

The action's baseline is not that original in the area of the WW2 movies ("Zookeper's Wife", "The Book Thief", etc.). The approach this film has, is, however, done with more comic effect than other cases, without disregarding the gravity of the context. I would rather say that the cheerful contrast actually amplifies the tragic side, although (spoiler) the end is not as sad as "La Vita e Bella". Actually, the final part somehow cuts off the permanent tension during the movie, and the way this happens :) we have some sort of "twists", maybe a bit hard to believe, but clearly deserving a bonus for imagination.. no spoilers, check the movie ;)

Rating: 4 out of 5